Frank tuitte



(No Model.)

I'. TUITTE.

SASH FASTBNER.

Patented Nov. 16,1897.

I mHHHHHL/g V Iov UNITED STATES ATENT FRANK TUITTE, OF MENARDVILLE, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY VANDER STUCKEN, OF SAME PLACE.

SASH-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,706, dated November 16, 1897. Application filed April 22, 1897. Serial No. 633,248. (No model.)

TO'LLZZ whomJ t 71cm/ concern;-

Be it known thatl, FRANK TUITTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Menardville, in the county. of Menard and Stat-e of Texas, have invented a new and useful Sash Holder and Lock, of which the following is av specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in sash holders and locks, its object being to provide a simple, cheap, and efficient device of this character which may be applied to either the upper or lower -sashes of windows inl general use at the present time without materially injuring them and without requiring the aid of a skilled-mechanic.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter, and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portion of a window and its frame, showing my invention applied thereto. 2 is a front view of a portion of the lower sash and the frame, on an enlarged scale, showing the mannerl of applying my invention thereto. Fig. 3 is a similar view-of aportion of the upper sash or frame, on Van enlarged scale, showing the manner of applying my in vention thereto. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the spring-catch. A Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the rackbar used. for the lower sash.

Similar reference-numerals indicate similar parts in the several figures.

1 indicates the window-frame, 2 the inner guide-strip, and 3 the parting-strip. The lower window-sash is indicated by 4 and the upper one by 5. The rack-bar is marked 6 and is provided with a series of teeth, each of. which has a horizontal fiat face 7 and a vertically-inclining face 8. The bar is provided with a flange 9 at the front side of the teeth,

which projects outwardly beyond the planev of the teeth and serves as a guide to prevent the spring-catches from moving laterally out of engagement with the teeth. At the lower end ofv the rack-bar for the lower sash the tooth portion of the bar is cut away, as indicated at 10, thereby forming a square-shouldered recess, of which the iiange 9 forms one of the side walls and the side rail of the sash fl the other side wall. The function of this Fig.v

recess will be referred to hereinafter. The rack-bar for the lower sash issecured to the inner guide-strip 2 close up to the sash,- and the rack-bar for the upper sash is secured to the parting-strip 3, and this bar is similar to that usedfor the lower sash, except that kthe vrecess 10is omitted. When the upper rackbaris used, it will be necessary to cut a recess in the top rail of the lower sashto enable it to'pass over the rack-bar. These rack-bars will preferably be made of iron, and it is my intention to make them in sections varying in length from eight to twelve inches. By this means the rack-bars can be fitted to anysized window without having to cut the bars.

The spring-catch consists of a strip of spring metal 11, preferably steel, secured at one end to a lug 12, projecting outwardly from aplate 13. This plate is provided with openings 14 for the passage of screws or similar fastening devices, by means of which the plate is secured to the window-sash. The spring-strip is bent to form a hook 15, the outer arm 16 of `which is straight and arranged in substantially a horizontal plane. The end of the arm 16 is providedy with a return-bend, as indicated at 17, for a purpose to be hereinafter referred to. The arms of the hook 15 and the bent end of the outer arm 16 all lie in the same vertical plane.

Two spring-catches are secured to the lower sash, one above the other, and these are oppo- Y sitely disposed in such manner that the lower one has its hook 15 projecting upwardly and adapted to enter the recess 10 in the rack-bar, and the upper one has its hook projecting downwardly and adapted to engage with its horizontal arm 16 the iiat faces 7 of the teeth in the rack-bar. When the parts are in this positionLit is evident that the lower springcatch serves as a lock and prevents the lower sash from being raised, and in order to raise the sash the hook of the lowercat-ch must be disengaged from the recess 10. This can be accomplished by pulling the hook laterally,

and the return-bend 17 serves as a convenient Y fin ger-hold for this purpose. When said hook IOO hold the sash elevated. In order to lower the sash, the upper hook must be held out of engagement with the teeth, while the lower one will slide over them.

Only one spring-catch is used on the upper sash, and that is so arranged that it will engage one of the teeth of the rack-bar when the sash is closed, and thereby lock the sash in its closed position. In order to lower the sash, the hook must be disengaged from the teeth of the rack-bar, and as a convenient means of doing this I secure a cord 1S in the return-bend 17 of the hook and run it through the eye ot` a screw-eye 19, secured in the top rail of the sash. By pulling on the cord 1S the hook will be disengaged and the sash may then be lowered to the desired point, when on releasing the cord the spring-catch willengage the nearest tooth in the bar and hold the sash in position. In closing the upper sash the spring-catch will ride up over the teeth of the rack-bar.

An important feature of the above described invention resides in the fact that the construction of l[he catch adapts two relatively-reversed catches to be arranged with their iinger-holds contiguous to each other for simultaneous pressure, and hence allows either catch to be operated without materially changing the position of the operating-hand, one of the catches being designed to hold a sash at the desired elevation, while the other is designed to lock the sash at the limit ot' its downward movement.

It will be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and minor details ot' construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

That I claim isl. A reversible sash-holder for use in connection with fixed stops, the same having a spring-shank, for arrangement parallel with the path of a sash, a transverse arm arranged perpendicular to the path of the sash and terminating at one end in a finger-hold, and an inclined integral connecting portion between the other end of said arm and the shank, and meeting said arm at an acute angle to form a nose for engagement with said iixed stops, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a window-frame having an attached rack, and a sliding sash mounted for movement parallel with the rack, of relatively-reversed catches mounted upon the sash for engagement with the rack, each catch having a springshank, disposed approximately parallel with the rack, and a transverse arm connected at one end with the shank by an interposed inclined portion to form an acute angle to engage the rack-teeth, and terminating at the other end in a Iingerhold, and said catches being disposed with their transverse arms contiguous to each other, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK TITIT' E lVitnesses:

WALTER TURNER, ED LOEPPENVEIN. 

